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Noche UFC Kicks Off, Topuria Ducks Pimblett, PFL Books Battle

This is an Open Scoring MMA News Alert. Delgado headlining, Dana White stokes a Topuria-Pimblett superfight while Topuria's camp shuts it down, and PFL locks in a December 13, 2025 Lyon clash.

Noche UFC Kicks Off, Topuria Ducks Pimblett, PFL Books Battle

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It's a loaded Saturday across combat sports, with UFC's Noche card underway in Arizona and a fresh round of Topuria-Pimblett drama spilling out of the promotion's front office. Here's everything worth knowing heading into the weekend.

Noche UFC Lights Up Glendale

UFC returns to Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona for Noche UFC 4, with Jean Silva and Jose Delgado headlining a featherweight showdown. The event streams live on Paramount+, with prelims and main card action rolling through the afternoon and evening from the Phoenix area.

White Keeps Pumping Up Pimblett

Dana White isn't shy about how much he values Paddy Pimblett right now, going as far as calling the Liverpool lightweight invaluable to the promotion's current success. That praise comes alongside White's suggestion that a Pimblett fight with Ilia Topuria wouldn't need a title on the line to justify a rare, Conor McGregor style spotlight main event. It's a notable stance from the UFC boss, especially with Pimblett continuing to needle Topuria over his recent loss.

Topuria's Camp Says Not So Fast

Not everyone in Topuria's corner is on board with the Pimblett idea. His manager has publicly dismissed the matchup, making clear the priority right now is chasing a rematch with Justin Gaethje instead of entertaining a grudge match with Pimblett. That puts White's enthusiasm for a McGregor style spectacle fight on a collision course with what Topuria's team actually wants next, and for now the featherweight side isn't budging.

PFL Sets December Lyon Bout

PFL has firmed up another piece of its December 19 card at LDLC Arena in Lyon, booking Bryan Battle against unbeaten finisher Boris Atangana. Battle steps in against a prospect who's built his reputation on finishing opponents rather than grinding out decisions, making this an early style clash worth tracking as the Lyon lineup fills out over the next few months.

A Boxing Crossover Worth Watching

A Boxing Crossover Worth Watching

MMA fans dabbling in the boxing world have their eyes on Las Vegas too, where Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn meet at T-Mobile Arena in one of the year's most anticipated crossover boxing cards. The main event is expected to get going around 11 p.m. ET on Paramount+, giving fight fans a natural doubleheader with Noche UFC earlier in the day.

From the community

Over on @VeneziMMA, fans are talking about this: Here's my breakdown of every fighter and fight at #UFCNoche! This is a very fun card and I am amped for Saturday. Let me know what you think as always, and enjoy! #UFC #MMA #Zuffa #Paramount #Fights.

Sources

Every source behind today's roundup (14)

We summarize the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work:

Open Scoring MMA is a daily AI-produced MMA and UFC news podcast. Listen to today's episode, read the full Feed, or get every episode by email.

Episode transcript

Read the full episode transcript

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA. This is episode 86 for September 12th, 2026, your daily look at what's happening now and next across the world of MMA and UFC. DUKE: Nora, today's a big one. Noche UFC is reportedly live right now out of Glendale, Arizona, Desert Diamond Arena, and the featherweight main event is Jean Silva versus Jose Delgado.
NORA: And it's billed as a pivotal one too. Both guys are fighting for real featherweight positioning here, not just a paycheck.
DUKE: This thing kicked off at two eastern, eleven Pacific, streaming on Paramount Plus.
NORA: And prelims are already wrapped and scored, so depending on when you're listening to this, that main event might already be in the books.
DUKE: We're not gonna guess at results we don't have in front of us, but keep your eyes on the scorecards tonight.
NORA: The fans on X are already fired up about it too. One breakdown going around called this a genuinely fun card, fight by fight, and said they're amped for the whole thing.
DUKE: Can't blame them, featherweight is stacked with meaningful fights right now and this main event slots right into that conversation. Funny enough, MMA's not the only combat sport popping tonight. Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn are squaring off in one of the biggest boxing cards of the year, T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.
NORA: Crossover audience is gonna be split between two arenas tonight, that's for sure.
DUKE: Two totally different sports, same night, same appetite for a big fight.
NORA: That's combat sports in twenty twenty six for you.
DUKE: Alright, let's get into the stuff everybody's actually talking about. Dana White cannot stop talking about Paddy Pimblett.
NORA: He straight up called him invaluable to the promotion's success. That's not casual praise, that's the boss saying this guy moves needles.
DUKE: The Baddy just keeps delivering for this company, in the cage and out of it, and Dana knows exactly what he's got.
NORA: And it's not just compliments. White floated something bigger.
DUKE: He said Topuria versus Pimblett would justify a rare, McGregor style non title main event.
NORA: That's a massive statement. White's essentially saying this fight doesn't need a belt attached to headline a pay per view.
DUKE: Pimblett's been mocking Topuria's loss to build that fight, and clearly it's working, because the president himself is talking about it like it's real.
NORA: For Pimblett that's huge. That kind of spotlight fight changes his whole trajectory, title picture or not.
DUKE: But here's the catch. Topuria's manager already threw cold water on it. He dismissed the Pimblett fight outright and said the real target is a Justin Gaethje rematch, running it back after their first meeting.
NORA: That's a big swing away from what Dana's been selling. Topuria's camp wants the actual get back fight, not the money fight with Pimblett.
DUKE: I get wanting revenge, but come on, the McGregor style main event Dana's talking about? That's a different level of exposure for Topuria too.
NORA: Sure, but Gaethje's still ranked at the top of that weight class conversation. From a resume standpoint his team's not wrong to want that one first.
DUKE: Okay, that's fair.
NORA: The Baddy versus Topuria still feels inevitable to me though. It's just a matter of when, not if.
DUKE: Right, Dana wants it, the fans want it, Pimblett clearly wants it. Topuria's side is just playing hardball for now.
NORA: Which, honestly, is smart business on their end.
DUKE: We'll keep tracking that one, because if it does come together, that's a pay per view weekend. Switching gears, roster news. Bryan Battle is booked against unbeaten finisher Boris Atangana at PFL Lyon on Saturday, December nineteenth, LDLC Arena.
NORA: Atangana's undefeated and built a reputation as a finisher, so this is a real live test for Battle heading into the new year.
DUKE: PFL's been building out that Lyon card, and a matchup like this gives it a genuine action fight in the middle of the lineup.
NORA: For Battle specifically, beating an unbeaten prospect like that is exactly the kind of result that gets you talked about heading into twenty twenty seven.
DUKE: Alright Nora, time for the pick. What's the model saying this week?
NORA: We've got Akbar Abdullaev fighting this week, and we're on Abdullaev.
DUKE: How strong?
NORA: Around ninety four percent for us. The betting line's only implying about ninety two.
DUKE: So we're basically right on top of the market there.
NORA: A little higher, and honestly this is one where we've actually flipped. We had his opponent before, now we're fully on Abdullaev.
DUKE: Why the flip?
NORA: We've been looking at the data, and the model's adjusted its read on this one.
DUKE: Okay, that's form. What else?
NORA: The model's showing a strong preference for Abdullaev.
DUKE: So this isn't really close in your eyes.
NORA: Not even a little. Abdullaev's the guy.
DUKE: I like a live dog as much as anyone, but the model's got a strong read here, yeah, I'm not fighting the model on this one.
NORA: Good, because our overall numbers this stretch are sixty seven and twenty one, and we're still slightly behind the market's hit rate, so I'll take the times we're clearly right.
DUKE: Fair enough, we're honest about the cold stretches on this show. Now let's look ahead, because the schedule does not slow down.
NORA: We're seeing some interesting matchups on that card.
DUKE: Contender Series is always about who's about to get a UFC contract on the spot, so keep an eye on both of those.
NORA: Exactly the kind of card where a knockout can change somebody's whole career by midnight.
DUKE: Then the big one. UFC 331 lands this Saturday, September nineteenth, Pantoja versus Van two.
NORA: Joshua Van defends against Alexandre Pantoja, running it back after their first meeting, and that's the kind of rematch that can settle flyweight for a good while.
DUKE: Huge card, top to bottom.
NORA: And don't sleep on what's coming after that either. UFC Fight Night has Raoni Barcelos versus Raul Rosas Junior on September twenty sixth, and then UFC 332 on October third brings Natalia Silva versus Wang Cong.
DUKE: This stretch of the calendar is absolutely stacked, we're gonna be busy.
NORA: In the best way.

Akbar Abdullaev is our pick. Who have you got, and why? Before you go, two quick things. Check out our free Fight Tracker at tracker dot open scoring m m a dot com, with every upcoming UFC and PFL card, live odds, and where to watch, all in one place. And follow us on YouTube, just search Open Scoring MMA, for breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, and videos you won't get here on the feed. That's it for today's Open Scoring MMA. Keep your hands up, and we'll see you next time.